Portable asphalt-mixing plant



April 10, 1928. 1,665,405

F. H. CUMMER PORTABLE ASPHALT MIXING PLANT I Filed Feb- 1926 2Sheets-Sheet l April 10, 1928.

F. H. CUMMER PORTABLE ASPHALT MIXING PLANT Filed eb. 27. 1926 -zSheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 10, 1928 UNITED STATES FREDERICK H. CUMMER,0F LOS ANGELEs, CALIFORNIA.

PORTABLE ASPHALT-MIXING PLANT.

Application filed February 27, 1926.

This invention relates to improvements in portable asphalt mixing plantsof the type including an elevator structure for conveying the heatedsand or aggregate from the heating chamber to an elevated screen boxfrom which it travels downwardlythrough one or more processing devicesinto the receptacle where it is mixed with the other materials.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved asphaltmixing plant of this type wherein the elevator structure is soconstructed and arranged that it may be swung as a unit and withoutdisturb ing the elevating mechanism thereof to a horizontal position,thereby rendering the plant much more compact and enabling it to readilypass under low bridges and the like when travelling from place to placeand to be more easily housed when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide slide means for theelevated screen box, so that it may be moved to a lower position by aminimum amount of labor when it is desired to make the plant as compactas possible.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part willappear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portable asphalt mixingplant embodying the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary planview thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the asphalt mixing plant there illustratedcomprises in general a. suitable frame 1 mounted upon front and rearwheels 2 and having arranged upon said frame a substantially horizontalcylinder 3. Sand is supplied to this cylinder through the chute 4 andwhile travelling through said cylinder is heated by means of anysuitable form arranged Within the casing 5.

From this cylinder, the heated sand is delivered through a chute 10 tothe elevator which delivers it to an elevated screen box 11. From thisbox, the sand is discharged. into one or more bins 12 arrangedtherebelow, and from these bins is discharged into a weighing box 13,which in turn discharges the sand into a receptacle 14 where it is mixedwith other materials, as is usual.

The elevator structure, with which this invention largely deals,includes an elongated, enclosing casing 20 normally arranged in asubstantially vertical position and extending Serial No. 91,097.

from a point above the screen box 11 to a point below the rear framewheels 2, so that when said casing occupies its normal, verticalposition, the four frame wheels must be mounted upon suitable piers 21,as indicated in Fig. 1. Arranged within the upper and lower end portionsof the elevator casing sprocket wheels 22 and 23, respectively, overwhich travels a suitable chain 24 provided with buckets (not shown) ofany preferred type, said buckets being adapted to carry the heated sandfrom the cylinder 3 to the screen box 11.

The driving mechanism for the bucket chain 24 includes a sprocket wheelmounted upon a shaft 31 journalled in the upper end portion of theelevator casing and upon which shaft the upper sprocket wheel 22 is alsomounted. This sprocket wheel 30, which is outside the elevator casing,is driven by a chain 32 which in turn is driven by a sprocket wheel 33mounted upon a shaft 34 arranged adjacent the mixer casing 14. Thisshaft 34 is connected by means of a suitable coupling 35 with a shaft 36in horizontal alignment therewith as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. Shaft36 is provided with a gear 37 meshing with a gear 38 on a shaft 39, uponwhich shaft is also mounted a pul- 3 ley 40 driven by a belt 41 from anysuitable source of power.

Preferably, the elevator casing shaft 31 is provided with a thirdsprocket wheel 45 for driving a chain 46 which in turn drives a sprocketwheel 47 on a shaft 48 journalled within the screen box 11 and withwhich shaft 48 is associated the screening mechanism within said box.Also, shaft 36 adjacent the mixer casing is preferably provided with asecond gear 49 for driving the gears 50 and 51 upon the operating shafts52 and 53 for the mixer teeth 54. A single source of power is thereforeutilized in driving the mixer mechanism, the screen box mechanism andthe elevator mechanism.

In order to render the plantas a whole more compact and therefore enableit to readily pass under low bridges and the like when moving from placeto place and to also facilitate housing the same when desired, theelevator structure is movable as a unit, and without disturbing thebucket chain 24 within the enclosing casing 20, to a substantiallyhorizontal position, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1. For thispurpose the elevator casing 20 substantially midway its ends is pivotedat 60 upon a bracket 61 supported upona suitable frame portion. The onlythings that must be done to enable the elevator structure to be swung,tot-his horizontal position are to remove the sprocket chains 32 and 46,the operating.

platform portion 62, the elevator boot 55 and by means of the coupling35 diseonnect; and remove the shaft 34 from shaft 36, all

of which may be easily and quickly accomplished.

A slide means 6'5 is also provided forthe screen box llso that it may bemoved to a lower posit-ion with aminimum amountaof time and labor whenit is desired to still further decrease the clearancereqnired by theplant.v Said slide means. consists of ways suitably mounted upon thesupport ing members '66: and extending forwardly and downwardly from thetop of the front end of the, bin 12, asclearlyindicated in Fig. 1. beenremoved, the screenbox may besnnply turned around and slid down the waystosupportingframe therefor, said elevator After the sprocket chain 46'has unit-being pivotally mounted at approximately itsown centeroffgravity uponsaid main frame, whereby it may be swung about its pivoteither to acsubstantially vertical operative position or to asubstantially horizontal inoperative posit-ion without disassemblingsaid unit.

2. A portable-mixing plant for road material, comprising a main framehaving a platfornr spaced: above ground level, a thorizontally extendingdrier on said frame above platform level, receiving means mounted: onsaid :frame above and at the. end of the drier, and an elevator unitfor: transferring. material from i the drier to said receiving means,including, elevat-ingmmeans and a frame therefor, and supports located 1above the platform, said elevator unit being pl otally an'ounted uponsaid supporjts at approximately its own center of gravity and atapproximately the upperplevel of the drier, and thereby substantiallybalanced tolie at rest either in substantially vertical operae tiveposition with itsnlower end receiving from'the drier and its upperenddelivering, to thebins orin substantially horizontalin operativeposit-ion. spaced above theuplatz form at the levelof, the top of thedrier-a In testimony whereof-I herebyafiiximy

